North Jetty (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for North Jetty (Hikkaduwa) is a tough one. The water’s sitting at a warm 83°, about 2° above the norm for this time of year, which is nice for a dip, but not much else. We’ve got a lot of days with poor surf conditions and only a few that are even worth a second look. The bulk of the period is a write-off, with a long gap of nothing decent from the start all the way through to late August.

Let’s break it down. Wednesday 19 August starts with a 7 ft SSW swell at a long 17 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 3617—that’s strong stuff. But the wind is onshore from the west at 12 mph, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The surf is poor, and the afternoon doesn’t get any better, with a marginal tide and a similar setup. Thursday 20 August is cross-onshore and choppy, with 6 ft SSW swell, and the energy is still high at 2178, but it’s messy. Friday through Sunday, 21–23 August, sees the swell drop to 4–5 ft, with onshore winds and poor conditions across the board. The energy dips to around 1000—moderate but weak for the spot.

The week from 24 August to 29 August is a real desert. Swell sizes are tiny, between 3 ft and 5 ft, with poor surf and marginal tides. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is weak, under 1000 most days. Don’t bother paddling out.

Now, we do have a bit of a standout, but it’s a long way off and not without its issues. On Sunday 30 August, the swell picks up to 5 ft from the SW at a very long 20 seconds, with strong energy at 2504. The wind is still onshore from the west at 12 mph, which is a bummer—it’s the same old story. The surf is still rated poor. Monday 31 August has a bigger 8 ft SW swell, also with a long 17-second period, and energy at 3526. Again, onshore wind and poor conditions in the morning, but the afternoon is marginal. This swell is too big for beginners—over 8 ft for experts only—and the long period might make it break a bit straight at the beach, so it’s more for the experienced crew. The optimum swell direction for this point break is SW, so the direction is on point, but the wind is killing it.

The first few days of September, 1–3, taper off again, with 4–6 ft SW to SSW swell, onshore to cross-onshore winds, and poor to marginal surf. The energy drops back to the 700–2000 range.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there’s no day that screams “go.” If you’re desperate, Monday 31 August afternoon has the best chance with 8 ft SW swell and a minor improvement to marginal conditions, but the onshore wind means it’s still a gamble. For the rest, it’s a waiting game—forecasts can change, but right now, this stretch is a blank.

Rusty.

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